ant to, but ye can't stake no claims."

"Where's the limit of this reserve?" asked Mac.

"Ten miles down the river from here. Ye'll have to be down below there
by to-morrow night. Or, if ye want to stay, ye'll have to give up your
guns. No guns allowed here."

"I suppose you've got papers to show your authority?" Mac inquired.

"'Course I have. They 're back at camp. Oh, ye'll get all ye want.
Why," pointing to the fresh hide, "ye killed that there deer out of
season. Ye've got the law agin ye for that."

"It was for our own food. You can kill deer for necessary supplies."

"Not on this ground. Now ye can do as ye like--give up your guns till
ye 're ready to leave, or get out right away. I've warned ye."

The "ranger" got up and glanced round threateningly.

"If you can show us that you're really a Government ranger, we'll go,"
Horace said. "But I know the Commissioner of Crown Lands; I saw him
before we started, and I didn't hear of any new reserve being made. I
don't believe in you or your reserve, and we'll stay where we are till
you show us the proof of your authority."

"I'll show you _this_!" exclaimed the man fiercely, slapping the barrel
of his rifle.

"You can't bluff us. We've got guns, too, if it comes to that!" cried
Fred.

"I've give ye fair warning," repeated the man. "Ye'll find it mighty
hard to buck agin the Gover'ment, and ye'll be sorry if ye try it.
Ye'll see me again."

Turning, he stepped into the shadows and was gone. The boys looked at
one another.

"What do you make of it?" Peter asked. "Is he a ranger--or a
prospector?"

"They don't hire that kind of man for Government rangers," replied
Horace. "And I'm certain there's no forest reserve here. Why, there's
no timber worth preserving. He's a hunter or a prospector, and from
his looks he's evidently been in the woods all winter, as he said.
Perhaps he belongs to a party of prospectors who found a good thing
last fall, and got snowed in before they could get out."

"Hunters wouldn't be so anxious to drive us away," said Fred. "They
must be prospectors. Suppose they've found the diamond fields!"

They had all thought of that. There was a gloomy silence.

"One thing's certain," said Horace, "we must trail those fellows down,
and see what sort of men they are and where they 're camped. We'll
scout up the river to-morrow."

They all felt nervous and uneasy that evening. They stayed up late,
and when they we